Abyssal Lapidary - Blood From A Stone

Summary

John opens Honest John’s Family Jewels in the underground Gothic city of Fazer-Magom, where mining equipment, strange visitors, and possibly cursed minerals hint at something sinister beneath the shop. The video focuses on learning the business rather than following a defined plot: John extracts and sells gemstones, fulfills customer orders, manages debts and guild fees, and investigates relics and other unsettling discoveries.

Gameplay Highlights and Tips

• Identify stones before working on them. A gem magnifier reveals what a material is and helps determine its hardness and strength.
• Match tools to the material. The chisel works well on softer stone, while a hammer can clear rock quickly—but may also damage ore. Use care around valuable deposits.
• Extract gems carefully. Chipping away surrounding rock can reveal multiple stones, but damaging them lowers their value. Cleaning off impurities can improve a gem’s quality.
• Upgrade tools strategically. Repairing and improving the chisel—especially its strength—makes processing materials more effective. Leftover base metal can provide materials for upgrades.
• Watch your spending. Raw stones and tools can be expensive, and it’s easy to lose money by buying poorly or paying more for a rock than its contents are worth.
• Read commissions closely. Orders can specify a gemstone, color, quality, minimum weight, and even a particular cut. The wrong cut or an unsuitable stone may fail the request.
• Use the cutting table carefully. Faceting involves timing the process, and only certain precious stones can be cut. A successful finish can substantially raise a gem’s value.
• Plan customer visits. John can schedule two appointments for the following day, helping secure buyers or suppliers needed for particular orders.
• Display goods to attract business. Showing jewelry and relics in the shop brings in more customers. Displaying relics can also increase selling prices.
• Investigate the supernatural side. Relics may be hidden in ore. Special tools—including a camera for strange phenomena and a light for judging what might be inside a stone—help uncover unusual finds. Processing strange objects can raise the character’s insanity.
• Balance income and obligations. The shop must contend with the Jewelers Guild’s regular fee, loan repayments, and the need to keep enough cash for materials.

John eventually finds better-value stones, fulfills commissions, and turns a profit after several risky purchases. In his view, the game’s appeal comes from its tactile stoneworking, business-management depth, and restrained creepy atmosphere. After the review’s apparent sign-off, the footage briefly shifts into a shooting sequence that catches him unprepared.

Gamers and Sources Featured

• John, presenter from Many A True Nerd
• Source: Many A True Nerd YouTube video, Abyssal Lapidary – Blood From A Stone